War on Want challenges the increasing power of supermarkets, questioning in particular the impact they have on their suppliers in developing countries. War on Want has exposed the dismal conditions of suppliers through reports such as
Fashion Victims, which highlights the problems in garment factories that supply Asda and Tesco's cheap clothes, and
Growing Pains, exposing the human cost of cut flowers.
Supermarkets increasingly hide behind voluntary standards such as the Supermarket Code of Conduct as a defence of their practices. However, our research shows that without effective audits and unions to give workers a voice, conditions are still below standard even where codes are in effect.
The passage of the Companies Act in November 2006 was a major victory for War on Want's campaign with the Corporate Responsibility Coalition (
CORE). For the first time directors are required to consider their employees' interests, their impact on the community, environment, and overseas supply chains, and the need to maintain high standards of business conduct.
However, problems remain, including that companies that operate in the UK but that are not listed here - such as Asda - are exempted. Additionally, despite the inclusion of supply chains in the Business Review, the Act does not allow communities or workers abroad to seek redress in Britain if they are harmed by UK firms.
The gallery below contains photographs from two major events that War on Want co-hosted on 28 February 2007. The first was a reception for MPs held at the Palace of Westminster, which gave representatives of different constituencies affected by supermarkets a chance to inform MPs of the problems they face. Following the MP reception was a forum that exposed a broader public to the issues surrounding supermarkets. A podcast of the public forum will be available here soon.
 |  | Corporate Accountability Homepage:
Find out more about our Corporate Accountability campaign to ensure corporations are accountable for their activities by putting in place effective regulations. |
 | | Clean Up Fashion:
Find out the latest about the injustice and exploitation in the high street fashion industry. |
 | | Growing Pains:
War on Want exposes the human cost of the cut flower industry in Colombia and Kenya producing flowers for British supermarkets. |
 | | The Alternative Reports:
Download War on Want's alternative reports uncovering how companies like Coca-Cola, ASDA and Caterpillar profit from poverty. |
 | | Corporate Responsibility Coalition (CORE):
War on Want is on the steering committee of CORE, a network of over 130 organisations that campaigns for regulation to minimise corporations' negative impacts. Visit CORE's external website to learn more. |
 | | Tescopoly:
War on Want is a member of the Tescopoly Alliance, which challenges the power of Britain's largest retailer. Visit Tescopoly's external website to learn more. |
 | | Tax Justice Network:
War on Want is a member of the Tax Justice Network, which promotes tax justice and tax cooperation and resists tax avoidance, tax evasion and tax competition. Visit the Tax Justice Network's external website to learn more. |
